ADVICE ON 2010 BMW 320D

[HOTSTUV]

I am thinking of purchasing a 2010 BMW 320D (manual) for work and private use. Some of colleagues told me that there were problems with the 'TURBO' unit of the DIESAL 3 series. Is this true ? and has BMW overcome TURBO failures (if there are any) on the 3 series (especially the 320d)?

Amongst the current (2010 edition) four cyclinder 3 series range, the 320D seems to be the TOP PERFORMER on paper (fuel effeciency, torque and speed). Is there someone out there who drives a 320D for work and private use and can verify the performance of the vehicle ?

I am told that the kilowatt output on the new 2010 320D is 135kw, is this true ??

Ia m also considering an MSPORTS ADDITION with 18 inch wheels. Can some one comment on the ride and comfort levels with 18 inch wheels. Is 18inch wheels sensible with the 320D ? Also I have not owned a car with RUNFLAT TYRES. Any idea what it costs to replace 17 inch or 18 inch RUNFLAT TYRES on a BMW ?

Finally, what is the resale market on a 320D. Does one receive favorable trade in and resale prices on the 320D?

 

[Sankekur]

The 320d is a great car, to the best of my knowledge most (if not all) of the turbo issues have been sorted, but there are soem things that you can do to insure a healthy turbo. You might want to service it more often than BMW suggests, every 8000-10000km instead of the 15000km recommended by BMW. Also warm up the engine/turbo before driving, 2-3min idle, and allow the turbo to cool down before shutting the engine off, about 1km from your destination ease up on the car and when you have reached your destination let it idle again for 2min. Doing this is not necesary but it would prolong the life of the turbo.

I would say the performance of the 320d compares well the the performance of my 330 so that is :thumb:

The ride with 18'' wheels will be a bit harder but the main thing is to not have runflats.

For most bmw's the resale value is not that good but it also depends whether the car is still under motorplan, if it is you will get more for it, otherwise the resale value tends to drop rather quickly.

This is of course just my opinion.

 

[Ga-3M]

The turbo issues have been sorted on the diesel engines, and the latest spec engine in the 320d is a great performer. The ride comfort with the 18's and msport suspension is still pretty good, slightly hard but still comfortable. The runflat tyres are pretty expensive, I know the lowest price I could find on the 18's was around R3000 each. The trade in value on a 320d wont be too bad, trading in while the vehicle is still on motorplan is definately the best option. The 18's wont be problem at all with a 320d.

 

[Legacy]

Time for my R0.02 . The 320D is an awesome car ans yeah the problems were fixed (as is any bmw:thumb: ). As to the other questions if I were you I would not go for the 320D + Sports kit and rather get a 325i, since the 320D+sports kit = R406 000 and then add some more extras whereas the 325i is R393 000 and then add some extras. Obviously if you have your heart set on the 320D then by all means go for it.

Also have you gone on the BMW website and played around with the virtual dealer? I definitely recomend this since you can choose two cars and then review each's specifications side by side, really awesom tool.

Final question, do you live at sealevel or at altitude?:mmm:

 

[G335im]

The 320d is an awesome car, my Dad just got one, really awesome torque & he gets over 900km on a tank of petrol. Performance, economy, what more could you want. Would go for the sportpack just for the look if anything. The runflats suck & so does the new Sachs sport suspension, the combination make the BMW 3's after March 2010 feel very twitchy.

 

[zaleonardz]

Howdy...

How long are you going to keep the car and what KM's are you going to do.

If your going to keep for 5 years and do like 20,000 a year, go for the 2010 model, and live with the rapid depreciation.

If your going to trade it quickly, or put 40,000 on in one or two years, it will pay you to look at an 07 model still under motorplan with 40,000 still left on plan. These diesels are fantastic, and the turbo problem ended in 03/04....

It will be more or less half the price of a 2010 model, so you will not lose your left nostril in depreciation...

The only time I will ever consider a brand new car or even a demo, is if I am going to keep the car for 5 or more years... and thats never going to happen

 

[HOTSTUV]

Time for my R0.02 . The 320D is an awesome car ans yeah the problems were fixed (as is any bmw:thumb: ). As to the other questions if I were you I would not go for the 320D + Sports kit and rather get a 325i, since the 320D+sports kit = R406 000 and then add some more extras whereas the 325i is R393 000 and then add some extras. Obviously if you have your heart set on the 320D then by all means go for it.

Also have you gone on the BMW website and played around with the virtual dealer? I definitely recomend this since you can choose two cars and then review each's specifications side by side, really awesom tool.

Final question, do you live at sealevel or at altitude?:mmm:

Hi There ...

Thank you for the response.

I dont plan to keep this car for a long period, maybe max 4 years.
I would sooooo love to get the 325i or 330i however when my budget kicks in with fuel expenses, the 325i and 330i plans fall away.

I will take your advise and visit the "virtual dealer" on the BMW website and compare stats. I live at sea level along the KwaZulu Natal North Coast. What is your opinion on the 320D at sea level altitude ?

Thank you once again for the comments, much appreciated.

---

Hi Guys ....

Thank you for all those comments and suggestions.

Does anyone know if there will be "ELECTRONIC MAPPING" done on the 2010/2011 edition of the 320D ?
Do BMW dealers perform upgrades or ELECTRONIC MAPPING on the 320D ?

What will happen to the warrenty and motorplan contract if electronic mapping is done to a new (2010/2011) 320D to boost power and torque ?